In defence of wrestling

Wrestling. The very word causes some people to break out into laughter. These people instantly picture the ridiculous singlets and headgear and the awkward sight of two guys rolling around on a mat. For this reason, wrestling is not a very popular sport. Rather, it is usually a subject of ridicule.

I myself used to think like these shallow-minded folks, until I learned what high school wrestling is really like. It's an extremely physically and mentally demanding sport that only the most determined athletes have the stomach for.

Practices are grueling. Wrestlers go through extensive stretching for maximum flexibility; conditioning such as running lap upon lap, countless push-ups, all different kinds of sit-ups, walking on their hands, front rolls, back rolls, bear crawls, crab walks, burbees, cartwheels, round-offs, jump roping, sprints and suicides; strengthening exercises like weighted wall-sits, "Grote push-ups", jump roping with the heavy rubber rope, various weight-lifting and even pounding a tractor tire with a sledge hammer; and actual training to improve their wrestling technique, which includes hand-control drills, take-downs, sprawls, drills to learn new moves and live wrestling.

All of this, spread across a two-hour practice, is designed to give each wrestler an agile body strengthened to its fullest potential and a well-equipped mind sharpened and focused to an unbeatable cunning, not to mention an intense tolerance for pain. These are the tools he will need to beat his opponent, either by pinning him or bending him into submission. Girls can wrestle too-- it is officially a co-ed sport. Some girls have even placed excellently at state.

Last year, a few of my friends were in wrestling. From them, I learned how tough the sport is. I gained a new found respect for these incredible athletes, who showed such unbreakable determination and rigid discipline. It was easy to see that no other sport is as severe, demanding, or skill-requiring as wrestling. Since becoming a manager for the team this year, I have only fortified my opinion. Seeing their training up-close has truly made me realize the guts these guys have.

The first and only time that I went to a wrestling meet, I was shocked at the intensity of the struggle between two wrestlers. It is such an intriguing sport, and yet few people actually give it a chance. They fail to see the true side of it. Instead, they insist upon their idle prejudices and empty assumptions. If only people would open their minds long enough to consider it, wrestling would receive the respect that it deserves.

Emily Prevost
WHS
Wickenburg, Ariz